Jisedai
by Arkaidy
Summary: Keisuke has spent the last four years watching his sister's life be torn apart from the sidelines. Something must be done to stop the cycle. This time, however, the Shiji Tenshi Sho calls not to her, nor to Yui, but to a boy to set things right...
1. Key

Jisedai   
  
by Vega  
  
~~~  
  
Spoilers: Entire Series and all three OVAs  
  
~~~  
  
Chapter One: "Key"  
  
~~~  
  
Four years.  
  
Four years had passed since I'd watched my little sister get swallowed up by the red light, pulled inexplicably into the ancient novel. Four years since I had read her life. Four years since Taka-san had served my sister that cup of hot chocolate.  
  
Three years since I had witnessed the return of the fallen Shitisenshi. Three years since the destruction of the wanna-be god Tenkou that had warped Nakago to his cause, that had been the reason for all of Yui-chan's suffering.  
  
Eleven months since the marriage of my sister and her fiancee, of the Suzaku no Miko and Tamahome, her eternal protector. Eleven months since my nephew had been created - a living Shinzaho.  
  
Six months since Mayo-san had come to her senses, relinquished her claim over my brother-in-law, summoned Suzaku along with my sister, and returned to this world. Six months since my sister woke up, her child back in her own womb, and the red power of Suzaku shining contentedly from behind her flushed cheeks. Once a Miko, always a Miko.  
  
Two months since Mayo-san accepted the basketball scholarship to an out of town highschool and moved.  
  
One month since my nephew was born. I half expected to see the mark of "Oni" glowing on his forehead, but there was none.  
  
Two days since I finished the painstaking repair on the Shiji Tenshi Sho. Two days since the hot glue gun and burned my knuckle, since I'd cut open the tip of my finger on the paper shredder, since I'd spilled the white out on my best pair of pants, and since I'd gotten the tape caught in my hair.  
  
Two days since all was set right in the Universe of the Four Gods.  
  
With the pages repaired and the book held with love once more, the citizens of Sailou, Konan, Kutou, and Hokkan were relieved of the floods, fires, droughts, and vermin that had slowly been taking over their world as the novel fell into disrepair.  
  
And now I stood before the shining wall of safety deposit boxes, clutching the novel carefully between bandaged hands, and weighing my options. The safest thing to do with it would be to burn it - but could I really condone the genocide of thousands of innocent people just because they existed in a world where gods ate Miko? And if I were to destroy the book, would Taka cease to exist? And my nephew? And my sister and her best friend?  
  
I couldn't burn it.   
  
I couldn't risk returning it to the library either, or keeping it on my own book shelf where someone could just take it by accident. I couldn't donate it to any private collections for fear of another Tenkou rising. So I did the only thing I thought was right - I dropped the kami-forsaken thing into the metal box, slammed down the lid, and shoved it into it's place in the wall. The bank clerk beside me raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as she closed the door on the safety deposit box, locked it, then handed me the key.  
  
I thanked her quickly and fled, a nagging feeling of guilt in the back of my head.  
  
But I had done the right thing, hadn't I? No one would ever be sucked into that book again - no one. With that self proclamation, I took one last look at the deposit box key in my hand and chucked it towards the nearby river.  
  
Let the damned book stay there for all eternity. 


	2. Return

Chapter Two: "Return"  
  
~~~  
  
I woke abruptly, the covers wound around my shoulders and neck.   
  
I still felt like I was suffocating and clawed at the sheets until they were shoved to the bottom of my futon. The dark of my room remained too much like the confines of the metal box I had dreamed about being imprisoned in, and the orange glow of the city beyond my window did nothing to dispel it. I jumped to my feet and crossed the room in swift carpet-eating strides, then flicked the light-switch.  
  
For one absurd moment, I feared that the light wouldn't turn on, and the sudden flood of overhead glow was a relief and a shock all at once. I turned away from the door way, annoyed by the stickiness I felt all over my bare chest and forehead - I had been sweating in my sleep, a by-product of my fear.  
  
Feeling my knees shaking and threatening to give way I plopped myself down at my desk. There I picked up the photo frame that held a picture of my sister Miaka and her husband Taka, cradling their son, Sukanami Mikomi, pink faced and screaming. Mik-chan was the culmination of all the love found in Shiji Tenshi Sho, so it made sense for them to name him 'hope'.  
  
Closing my eyes and rubbing my neck again, I took a deep breath.  
  
What the hell kind of dream had that been?   
  
I had been locked inside a metal box, lightless and airless, unable to escape, screaming for release, knowing no one could hear me and...  
  
... no.  
  
No, it couldn't be...  
  
Ignoring that my chair was thrown backwards as I jumped to my feet, I threw on some socks, then pulled the top half of my sweat-suit over my head and rushed to the front door. It was raining, and I could hear the soft pinging of the water against the roof, as well as the soft breathing of my mother, asleep in her own bed, in her room by the entry hall.  
  
My mother.  
  
She knew nothing of Miaka's secret life, and we had resolved never to tell her. She thought my sister had met Taka working in a coffee shop and while she had disapproved initially because of the age gap, she eventually realized how devoted Miaka and Taka were to one another and gave them her blessing.  
  
Slipping my feet into my boots, pulling my rain slicker on, and taking the only flashlight in the apartment, I eased the front door open to keep it from squeaking.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mom," I whispered as I stepped over the threshold. "You wouldn't understand."  
  
When the door closed behind me, the sound held an eerie note of finality.  
  
~~~  
  
Wishing that I'd had the foresight to put on a ball cap, I shoved my hair behind my ears for the umpteenth time. I was shivering, my teeth chattering, and I knew that if I stayed outside much longer, I would probably get hypothermia. But I didn't care - all that mattered was finding that damned key.  
  
I sloshed along the bank of the river, the rain pelting me, driving me downwards towards the water, up to my knees in the silt and grime. I flicked the flashlight's beam around, desperately hoping to catch the flicker of light on metal at the bottom of the riverbed. My throw can'tve been that good - it couldn't have landed too far away from the shore.  
  
I was about to give in, my sides aching from breathing in the foul river smell and the vicious shaking that I had succumbed to, but something kept me going, something told me to look down. I finally listened to the something and was rewarded - there, right there!  
  
I reached down and plunged my hand into the freezing water, the burn on my knuckle twinging in protest as I immersed it in the foul, chilly liquid.. Right underneath the rim of my boot lay the safety deposit box key, shiny and tempting, winking at me.  
  
"Found you!" I exclaimed, and would have sworn I heard the key reply, 'about damned time'.  
  
~~~  
  
It was six o'clock in the morning according to the clock on the post office tower by the time I had made my way to the bank. I had to stop several times in various coffee shops along the way to warm up, and had ignored the concerned owner's glances as I fished soggy yen bills from my jacket pockets to pay for the meager paper cups of warmth.   
  
I had to keep moving - I had to get there.  
  
I waited for half an hour on the front steps of the imposing building before the bank opened, clutching desperately to my last in a long line of coffees. When the security guard came out and unlocked the door, he tried to crack a joke about early birds and worms, but took one look at my muddy, streaked, pale face and ushered me inside.  
  
"What the hell happened to you?" he asked, tossing me a dry blanket from his own security station by the door.  
  
"Lost my key," I answered with a thin smile, thanked him for the blanket, wiped the mud off my face with one corner of it, and went immediately to the teller. It was the same frumpy woman who had sealed away the Shiji Tenshi Sho the day before.  
  
"I need that book back," I said softly, placing the key down on the blotter between us. "I'm sorry, I need it now."  
  
"Right, follow me." The woman turned and I walked after her around the counter, and into the main vault. We stopped and stared at the wall full of glimmering metal doors, and I swallowed heavily.  
  
Was I really doing this?  
  
It had only been a dream after all, and I had vowed that no one would ever be victim to that damned book ever again; no innocent girl would ever be consumed by an ancient god. And here I was, my palms itching to hold the cursed ancient Chinese novel once more.  
  
The seconds it took the teller to open the door and pull out the box seemed like an eternity to me.  
  
When she finally handed me the container and I ripped the lid off it and pulled out the book with a speed born of frenzy, allowing the metal box to clang unceremoniously to the floor.  
  
I had to read it!  
  
Ignoring the teller's shouts of protest at the mistreatment of bank property, I flipped open the cover and skimmed the words with my eyes, reading out loud:  
  
This is the story of a boy from the other world. The tale of the Four Mikos having come to a completion, it was his duty to tread where no Miko or God before him had gone, and ensure the rebirth of all those deserving. The story itself is an incantation; the moment the page is turned, the story will become truth, and begin.  
  
Without a second thought, I turned the page.  
  
I could barely make out the teller's shocked scream over the sudden roar of the wind, and had to close my eyes against the immediate and intense flash of red light. I could feel the damp strands of my hair whipping around my head, lashing at my cheeks, stinging . I could feel the blanket I clutched filling with air, floating about me like a great grey sail.  
  
"Suzaku-sama...!" I whispered as I felt the book slide from my hands, and consciousness slide from my form.  
  
When I hit the ground, I knew that it was not the hard tile one of the bank - I had fallen onto long, thick, dry, fragrant grass. 


	3. Stranger

Chapter Three: "Stranger"  
  
~~~  
  
I woke to the suffocating warmth of the midday sun shining directly on my face. I closed my eyes more tightly and rolled onto my side, dislodging the thick woolen blanket that lay over me. Shifting again, reaching out with one hand to shove it away, I heard the crackle of my rain slicker and woke abruptly.  
  
I sat up, clutching my head and wishing that I hadn't.  
  
It had stopped raining. Feeling monumentsly dumb and wondering if someone had thought I was a bum as I slept on the steps of the Bank, I reached out and folded up the blanket, then peeled off my slicker and folded that too.  
  
Then I pulled myself to my feet, ignoring the protesting of my stiff muscles, and looked around. The bank had to be open by now - I had to get the book our of the safety deposit box and ... oh...  
  
A clear blue sky, unencumbered by the skyscrapers of downtown Tokyo, greeted my sleep-blurred eyes. All around me was the clean, fresh air of the countryside. I was laying at the foothills of a mountain, green grass lush and whispering at my feet, crowing birds circling the air above my head, and gorse and wild flowers growing in scrubby patches intermittedly. Before me, further up the mountain path, I could see trees start as individuals, then crowd together in small groups until they became a full-fledged forest.  
  
Behind I could see the far-away smoke and small huddling structures that indicated a village, and a few perfunctory fences in the distance that told me that I must be standing on the outside of a rustic farm.  
  
I had done it. I was inside the book.  
  
Allowing myself a small whoop of elation, I spun in a circle, my arms outstretched and my head thrown back.  
  
I was inside the book!  
  
After a few minutes of indulgence, I realized that I had some serious thinking to do, and decided that the best way to do it would be as I walked up the mountain to it's nearby peak - that way I could look at the world spread out before me, and hopefully, recognize some of the land structures or markings from the map I had spent so much time carefully repairing in the front cover of the novel. I could figure out how to get to the capitol of Konan from there.  
  
Konan would be the wisest choice - that's where I knew my allies would be. That's also where the only two living shitisenshi remained.  
  
Throwing the rain slicker and blanket over my shoulder, and shoving my hands into my pockets, I started the trek uphill, glad for my choice in footwear, even if my socks were still slightly squishy from the river water.  
  
I could feel my flashlight banging gently against the small of my back as my footfalls jostled my jacket and was reassured - at least I would have light when it got dark. But I had to get to Konan as soon as possible, and find a way to prove to the Dowager Empress Houki and her son, Emperor Boushin, that I was Suzaku no Miko's brother, and was here to help.  
  
I had to be here to help, didn't I?  
  
Why else would Suzaku pull me into the book? Why else would the incantation say that a boy was required, a boy who would tread where Mikos and Gods could not go... a boy who would set the world right...   
  
I paused at the edge of the forest and peered between the trees, wary.   
  
What if I had been brought here by someone like Tenkou? A False god, or someone trying to use me to destroy someone or something? Well, I'd been researching, repairing, and reading this damned book for over four years now - I flattered myself that I'd be able to distinguish friend from foe if and when the time came.  
  
And knowing the Shiji Tenshi Sho, it would be "when" and not "if".  
  
Resigned to the fact that I would indeed have to traverse the interior of the forest to reach a decent vantage point, I hiked up the burden over my shoulder and began to walk again. Now, how to get an audience with Boushin-sama... I couldn't very well stand at the Palace gate and scream that I was Suzaku no Miko's Brother... who would believe me? I would have to try to get a message inside to Houki-sama, somehow, with some bit of information that only she would know...  
  
Maybe that she looked like Nuriko? No, anyone who'd known the shitishenshi would know that. Perhaps that she refused to get out of bed for two years? Or that Boushin-Sama used to carry around Hotohori-sama's teddy...? Ah! I would write in the letter that Tamahome once allowed Hotohori's spirit enter his body so that the late emperor could embrace his son for the first and last time. That would definitely be something that only she and I would be aware of...  
  
Pleased by this solution and feeling rather smug about the lovely warm weather as the heat made my sweatshirt cling to my skin (I had, after all, personally repaired the book and thus restored order to the climate of this world), I completely missed the sound of the twigs snapping behind me, and the leaves rustling, until it was too late.  
  
A hard metallic object came slamming down on my shoulder and I was thrown forward with a pained grunt. I let go of my jacket and rolled along the forest floor, trying to absorb some of the impact of the blow by going with it. Pushing my limp hair out of my eyes (the rain had washed away all my hair-gel, dammit), I looked up from where I was kneeling and came face to face with a long metal rectangle of silver. It seemed to be some sort of bludgeon.  
  
"W-wait!" I cried out and threw up my bandaged hands. "Don't hurt me!"  
  
"Aw, hell!" a roughly accented voice laughed, and I followed the metal rectangle up the arm that held it to the grinning face. "I ain't gonna hurt ya if you gimmie all your valuables!"  
  
"Valuables?" I repeated, and gasped as I saw my accoster's earrings glinting in the sun, and the two pointed fangs as he grinned widely, and above that, wild mop of flame-coloured hair. "I have no valuables. I have some paper money, but I think that's useless to you."  
  
"Dammit, don't it just figure," he sighed and the rectangle was pulled away from my face and slung over his back in a leather holster. The man held out his hand and said, "First traveler to come up my way in months, and ya got nuthin'. Up ya get, then, stranger."  
  
I took it warily and narrowed my eyes at the man. Why did he look so familiar?  
  
"Where ya headed?" the guy asked, and I was amazed at his kindness. Hadn't he just struck me and tried to rob me?  
  
"The Capital city of Konan," I said truthfully. I didn't see the point of lying to him - he had the weapon, not me.  
  
"Yer headin' the wrong way, then," the man told me, and jerked a thumb back over his shoudler. "It's that way."  
  
"Oh, thank you." I bowed briefly, then turned on my heel, happy to get away from there as soon as possible.  
  
My heart fell to my toes as I felt a hand come down on my shoulder, and I winced. He had to slap the hurt one! "Whoa, whoa!" he exclaimed, and I could hear the low rumble of his laughter. "Who said I was lettin' ya go? Ya gotta have some family I could ransom ya to, or somethin'!"  
  
"I don't have any family here!" I snapped and tried to pull away, but the man refused to let go. I was spun around and he grabbed my other shoulder as well to hold me in place. I felt my face grow hot with anger as he studied me intently, his beady amber eyes flicking up and down my frame.  
  
"Yer groomed like a noble man," he said, "and yer hair is short - and yer clothes are more or less clean, even if they are strange." His eyes flicked to the bandages that cris-crossed my knuckles. "Ya get into a fight, pretty boy? Maybe yer runnin' away from home?"  
  
"No," I muttered, offended. He made me sound like some sort of a poufter. Or a delinquent child. "I'm sort of on a quest."  
  
"Oh, ho! A Quest!" The man laughed again and again I was struck by a wave of deja vu. "Sounds important. How 'bout I take you back to my place and get you well fed and rested up for your Quest? Then maybe you'll trade something valuable for it?"  
  
"But I HAVE nothing!" I protested, even as I was dragged along by my wrist. I would have given him my watch, but I wasn't wearing even that. I had taken it off to sleep the night before and had been in too much of a hurry to put it back on before heading out to the bank. The man was drawing me further up the mountain, and if he hadn't been lying, that was the opposite direction of where I wanted to go.  
  
The man paused as we passed by my discarded jacket and blanket and stooped to pick them up. "Ya have this, fer starters," he said, fingering the material of the rubber slicker momentarily. "I ain't never seen anythin' like it, but it looks like quality material - I could use a new winter coat. And this blanket is good quality too."  
  
"Fine, they're yours!" I said, trying and failing to twist my wrist out of his grip. "Just let me go! I have to go see the Emperor!"  
  
"See the Emperor?" the man repeated as he awkwardly attempted to root through the pockets of my jacket with his one free hand. "I can feel somethin' heavy in here... why do ya wanna see the Emperor?"  
  
"I just have to!"  
  
"For yer Quest?" He was laughing again, and I wanted to punch him. But I could tell the moment I did, I'd get the crap beaten out of me - they guy was strong.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
He finally let go of my wrist, realizing he'd need both hands to get at what was in my pockets, but said, "Don'tcha go anywhere, kid. I'm faster'in you. And I already promised to show you the hospitality of Mt. Leikaku."  
  
"Wait, Mt. Leikaku?" I repeated incredulously as he finally fished my flashlight out of my pocket with an "A-ha!"  
  
"Yeah, isn't that what I just said?" He shook the flashlight briefly, playing with the knobs and buttons until the light flared to life. He dropped the heavy metal cylinder with a yelp and I bent to retrieve it and turn it off. "It's magic!"  
  
"No," I sighed, finally realizing why this guy was nagging at my memory. "It's from the Other World. And so am I... Tasuki-sama."  
  
Tasuki's eyes narrowed dangerously at me and before I could blink the Tessen was unfolded and pointed at my nose. "How do you know who I am?"  
  
"My name is Yuuki Keisuke," I replied, mu hands up in a gesture that screamed 'don't shoot!', "and I am Suzaku no Miko's brother."  
  
"Suzaku no Miko?" he repeated, the iron fan still trained on me. "If that's true, tell me her name."  
  
"Yuuki Miaka."  
  
Tasuki chewed on the corner of his lip briefly, as if trying to decide wether or not this was enough information to trust me on.  
  
"I can tell you other things, too, Tasuki-sama," I added, suddenly babbling. Babbling was preferable to barbequing, which I had a feeling I would be doing if I didn't convince him and fast. "I know that you and Chichiri-sama are the only original generation Suzaku Seven left, and that the others were reborn and that Chiriko-sama could speak as a baby, and Nuriko has been reborn as a girl and that--"  
  
"Shut yer hole!" Tasuki snapped and I did just that. "Geeze, you must be Miaka's brother. Ya got her motor-mouth." He sighed heavily and put away his weapon, then ran a hand through his hair. "All right. I believe ya.... and I'll take ya to see the Emperor, if ya want."  
  
"Ah! Thank you!" I said and bowed again, this time lower.  
  
"But first, ya look like shit. We'll get ya cleaned up back at the hide out." He started to walk again, flinging my jacket back at me, but keeping the blanket, I noticed. I didn't mind - if he wanted it, he could have it. I wasn't mine to begin with anyway. I took a few quick steps to catch up with him, and then matched him stride for stride. "So..." he ventured after we'd been walking for a few minutes in silence. "Why're ya here... Keisuke, ya said?"  
  
"Yes, Tasuki-sama."  
  
He grimaced. "Only tha Minister of tha Right calls me that - just plain Genrou is fine."  
  
"Right, Genrou," I smiled to myself - well, on a first name basis already! "I'm here because... well, I don't know why, exactly. Obviously I'm not here to be a Miko, but Suzaku brought me here for a reason, so I figure that reason will rear it's ugly head eventually."  
  
"An' ya figured the best way to be prepared for it is ta go runnin' after tha Suzaku Seven?" His voice sounded oddly world weary and I looked over to see an expression of annoyed sorrow flick across his face before it became carefully neutral.  
  
"This may have nothing to do with you guys at all," I assured him. He must not want to fight, I realized with a start that was mildly shocking. After all, who could blame him? He had already lost so much...  
  
"But ya said it was Suzaku who brought ya here."  
  
"Well, it was definitely his red light - I recognized it. I've seen it around Miaka enough. But I could be here on the behest of all the gods, or a few of them, or none of them at all. Maybe it was just red light because I'm Miaka's brother."  
  
Tasuki, no, Genrou, seemed to chew on this for a few minutes before asking. "How is... Miaka?"  
  
"Fine," I said softly. "She and Taka got married last year."  
  
"Oh, yeah?" Genrou sucked on his bottom lip briefly. "That's good ta hear. Time passes slowly in your world, I guess. It's been a... a while here."  
  
I wondered if maybe Genrou still cared for my sister. Or if maybe he felt left out that he was not reborn in her world, or if he missed Tamahome.   
  
"They think about you all the time..." I said, and Genrou blinked and looked over at me. He seemed slightly shocked for a moment, then a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.   
  
"They do, do they?"  
  
"Yeah." I rolled my eyes for dramatic effect. "Hardly a day goes by when I don't hear, 'Tasuki-chan this!' or 'Hotohori-sama that!'... drives me up the wall!"  
  
This made him laugh, his head thrown back, and I was glad of it. He looked like he needed a good laugh.   
  
The rest of the walk was spent in easy companionship. Genrou squeezed every drop of information on the wedding that I had, and by the time I was about to spill the secret of my nephew, we were already walking up the steps cut into the mountain side that led to the bandit's hideout.  
  
"Oh, cool!" I said, rushing ahead to stand at the top of the steps and look out over the forest. "I've read all about this place, but I never thought I'd actually get to see it!"  
  
"Read about it?" Genrou asked as he took the steps two at a time to join me.  
  
"Yeah, in the Shiji Tenshi Sho."  
  
Genrou nodded - "So you were tha guy on the edge of the battlefield when we were in the other world, tha one with that book. I thought you looked familiar."  
  
I laughed. "It took me a bit to recognize you, too, Genrou."  
  
He nodded again, then turned around to kick at the heavy wooden door. "Yo!" he called at the top of his lungs, "Lemmie in!"  
  
"O-ho! Who's that!" A voice on the other side called, and I caught Genrou rolling his eyes. "It's Genrou, the Fearless Leader! Genrou, let him in! Of course, of course, why wouldn't we?"  
  
"Koji-san?" I whispered, and Genrou nodded a third time.  
  
The doors flung outwards and I had to take a step back to avoid getting smacked. Genrou, I noticed, was standing in just the right spot to stay out of their way. Hmph. The least he could have done was warn me.  
  
"Genrou!" Koji cried and flung himself at his leader. "How good to see you again!"  
  
"I've only been gone three hours!" Genrou protested as they linked elbows and danced in a small circle. Until now I had only read about this strange ceremonial hello of theirs, and witnessed Miaka and Taka's attempts to imitate it. To see the real thing sent little shivers up my spine.   
  
I was actually in the book.  
  
"And who's this?" Koji asked, abruptly stopping the spinning as his eyes fell on me. I waved nervously.  
  
"You remember Miaka, right?" Genrou asked, and Koji gave him a 'duh' look. "This is Keisuke, her brother."  
  
"Suzaku no Miko's brother!" Koji exclaimed, and I was dragged bodily inside the hideout. "Let's have a drink!"  
  
"You always want to have a drink, no da!" another voice called from the shadows, and I dug in my heels and turned to look at its source. Seeming to grow from the patch of darkness, a tall slender man with a shocking tuft of blue hair, a tall staff, and an enthusiastic smile dissolved into existence.  
  
"Chichiri!" Genrou exclaimed behind me, and I could hear the shock in his voice. "Whatter ya doin' here?!"  
  
"I felt Suzaku's power, no da, " the masked monk answered, and turned his face to me. I couldn't tell if the squinty eyes were focused on me or not, but I assumed they were. "It was coming from here, na no da. Who's this?"  
  
"I'm Yuuki Keisuke." I stepped up and proffered my hand, and Chichiri, unsure, took it reluctantly. I shook his hand and then let go. "I'm Miaka's brother." 


	4. Musing

Chapter Four: "Musing"  
  
by Vega  
  
~~~  
  
When I woke the next morning, it was with the worst hangover I'd ever had in my life. And trust me, being friends with Tetsuya-san, that's saying a lot. Genrou and Koji could drink my wealthy friend under the table ten times over. Whatever it was that they had made that booze out of... jeeze, trust those two to have home-made moonshine that had more kick than a shot-gun.  
  
Of course, here in ancient China, all alcohol was moonshine.  
  
  
  
Chichiri, I noted, had stuck with tea instead. Smart Monk.  
  
I spent most of the morning puking into a bucket and missing my indoor plumbing. I don't recall Miaka ever complaining of not having indoor plumbing while in the book, but then, she had always lived in the Palace, hadn't she?  
  
Genrou and Koji teased me mercilessly, calling me a Spineless Scholar, and left to gather the supplies we would need to travel to Konan's capitol. I didn't recall agreeing to head out right away, but then, after the bandit's 'hospitality', I didn't remember a lot of anything. Chichiri took pity on me and made up an herbal tea that helped settle my stomach.   
  
"Here, no da," he said softly, out of respect for my splitting head and helped me to rest against a pillow that he had propped up against a wall. "It was unwise of you to try to take Tasuki on, na no da."  
  
"I don't remember agreeing to that stupid contest. But thanks anyway, Chichiri-sama," I said and took the cup. I tried to gulp it down all at once, burnt my tongue, cursed, then clutched the earthenware cup between both my hands, allowing the vapours to travel up my nose, blowing on the liquid until it was cooler.  
  
"Just Chichiri is fine," the other man said as he plopped down onto another cushion beside me. "May I call you just Keisuke, no da?"  
  
"Yeah, that's fine." I took another experimental sip, and finding the tea had cooled some, drank the rest of the cup and set it aside. "Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Of course, no da."  
  
"Why do you still go by your Shitisenshi name?"  
  
Chichiri's face angled downward, and if I'd have been able to see his one remaining eye, I'm sure it would have been pointed at his feet. "Chichiri is who I am now, no da - the... the other me died the night that... that I..."  
  
"I know," I said, putting a hand on his arm. He jumped slightly. "I read all about it. It's okay, you don't have to say it, I understand."  
  
He nodded briefly, then looked away. I think he was embarrassed. The mask didn't flush red, it seemed.  
  
"Genrou doesn't want me using his senshi name," I said in a conversational tone. Chichiri hardly knew me, and I barely knew the real him. I'd only read about him after all, so what right did I have to delve his most personal secrets from him? Best to change the subject.  
  
"Yes, no da. Tasuki... Genrou," Chichiri's face went up towards the ceiling, and I assumed those squinty eyes of his were pointed up - I would just have to get used to the strange fleshy mask, I guessed. "He lost a lot ... misses the others terribly... he made a point of staying out of everyone's new lives. He doesn't want it happening all over again. He ... he doesn't want any more... pain."  
  
I rubbed my chin for a moment, thinking, and noticed that the whiskers were starting to come in. I'd have to find some way of shaving tomorrow, otherwise I'd look like a sasquash within the week. There had to be razors of some sort around - both Genrou and Koji were smooth-faced. I wondered if Chichiri was too, underneath the mask.  
  
"I suppose that explains why he wasn't to thrilled when I said I intended to look for the Suzaku Senshi," I offered after a few moments silence.  
  
"Oh?" Chichiri prompted.  
  
"I think he just... wants to rest," I ventured. "He probably just wants to forget about that chapter of his life."  
  
"Oh, Tasuki would never want to FORGET it, no da," Chichiri corrected me with a small shake of his head and a slight smirk. "He loved that time of our life, no da. He just hated losing everyone he'd ever really cared about, na no da. We all did. Tasuki..." he paused and bumped the back of his head against the wall gently, "... lost everyone dear to him. He tore him up inside. He doesn't want to be reminded of the pain."  
  
"No da."   
  
Chichiri's face turned to mine. "No da," he added softly. I couldn't tell if he was smiling now or not. Taka had told me long ago that Chichiri's odd speech patterns and goofy illusions were just as much a mask as the one he wore on his face. Easily the most powerful magic-wise of the Suzaku Seven, and with brains to rival Chiriko's, Chichiri was certainly not a loveable and bubbly idiot - that was just the front he had decided to put on.  
  
It lulled his enemies into a sense of superiority that made them slip up, and it made children love and trust him. And who wouldn't trust a hat-pulling clown like Chichiri? I suppose he found it easier to keep that image up and face down his demons, and ask people around him to have to witness the physical evidence of his flaring jealousy and betrayal.  
  
"You are wise, to understand Tasuki so well, Kesuki-san," Chichiri said softly, breaking into my thoughts, "I don't know what you are your world, but I find your aura very soothing - and your protectiveness is admirable, no da."  
  
"Protectiveness?"  
  
Chichiri nodded slightly. "I could tell by the way you speak of your nephew: Miaka-sama's Shinzaho, the child Mik-chan, no da."  
  
"I suppose I am protective," I allowed. "But having seen this book tear up the hearts of so many of the people closest to me... I suppose I have a lot of reasons to be that way."  
  
"Speaking of this... 'book'," Chichiri paused to roll the word around in his mouth, as if he was having trouble swallowing the idea that he was just a fictional character. I had my theories that the 'book-world' was really nothing more than a gateway into the actual past, but was having trouble finding evidence for it - especially since the deterioration of the book had directly affected this reality. "Why do you think you are here, no da?"  
  
"Well, I'm not here to be your Miko, obviously," I laughed slightly and flattened my palms over my equally flat chest. "Missing some of the essential equipment."  
  
The other man laughed at this, which made me happy. Like Genrou before him, he looked like he needed a good laugh, too. The herbal remedy in the tea had begun to work, and his ringing voice didn't hurt my head anymore, which was a pleasant observation.  
  
"I was brought here to set something right," I continued, "That's what the incantation in the book said... something about rewarding those who deserved it, treading where no Miko or God had gone before me, a boy to set things right, now that the four girls' stories are over."  
  
Chichiri stopped laughing and 'hmmmed' for a bit. I sat back and waited him out. I felt rumpled and dirty and decided that once Genrou got back, I would beg some fresh clothing and a hot bath from the bandit - I would just have to be careful to keep everything safe and with me, for I had no idea if any of my clothing still linked me to someone in my world.  
  
The thought that Miaka might now be the one reading about my life inside the Shiji Tenshi Sho gave me an odd sort of shudder, and I wrapped my arms around my legs, bringing my knees up to rest my chin on. Was she worried about me? Would she know something I didn't? Or had she even noticed I was gone, yet? Had Mother told her I'd vanished?  
  
Time passed very slowly in my world, compared to this one - perhaps she and Taka were still asleep, peaceful, unaware. I shook my head. No, I had a job to do here, and regardless or wether Miaka knew or not, I had to focus my attention on the people here and now, and their welfare, and my part in that. To fail to do so could result in the destruction of this rare civilization: Miaka and Yui's adventures had taught me that.  
  
When the book calls to you, you do what it wants, you focus all your energy on it, and you get it done right away. That was the only way to end up with a happy ending.  
  
"I think the first place we should go is to see Houki-sama," Chichiri broke into my musings. He pulled himself to his feet, then reached down and helped me do the same. "I want to read Konan's Shiji Tenshi Sho, see if there's anything in it about you, or this, no da."  
  
"I thought it burned up when Miaka did the summoning ceremony," I said, wiping the dirt off the ass of my sweat pants.   
  
Chichiri gave a little chuckle of sorts and patted the dust from his own trousers. "It was, no da. But we kept a transcription of it in the shrine, na no da."  
  
"Sounds like a plan ter me!" Genrou's harsh voice called from the door way and I looked up to see the flame-haired bandit standing there in what I assumed was his travel gear - heavy duty leather boots and trousers, and something that sort of reminded me of a modern-day duster over a white shirt. I recalled having seen him in clothing similar to this the day he had fought Nakago in downtown Tokyo. "Whatter we waitin' for?"  
  
"Me," I said and held out my arms to demonstrate the filthiness of my itching sweat shirt. "Mind if I steal a bath and a change of clothes before we go?"  
  
Genrou shook his head. "What's with you Other World people and your need for baths? Miaka was the same damn way. Fine, follow me..."  
  
I flashed a grin at Chichiri, "Hey, thanks for the tea, it really helped!" and followed the bandit down the hall. I envisioned a filthy little bathing tub and a gross mildewy floor, and was suitably impressed when I was led outside to a real onsen. Natural hot-springs were all over the place in Japan, but to see one here, like this, without the commercialism and fences that were usually all around them, was somewhat of a miracle.  
  
"Ya got an hour," Genrou said, "an then me 'n Koji'll come an drag ya out. I'll leave clothes by the door for ya. Oh, and I don't got any of that soap stuff that Miaka liked."  
  
"That's fine," I said, and bowed in thanks. "A rinse is all I need."  
  
He turned and left and I scrambled out of my clothes and into the hot water. The heat made all my little aches and pains go away, and I revelled in the luxury. I took advantage of the allotted full hour, even though I really didn't need it. We had to get moving as soon as possible I figured, but I couldn't tear myself away from the surreal peace and beauty of the surrounding forests.  
  
If I didn't have a quest, and a family back home, I wouldn't mind staying at Mt. Leikaku for the rest of my life. Although Miaka no longer needed my protection, and Mother would get along just fine with my sister and brother and law ... no, I didn't belong here any more than Tamahome had belonged in my world. It had been an awful doing, getting him permission to stay, and I didn't want to have to go through that. Besides, how could I just up and vanish on my poor mother?  
  
And I knew Miaka would curse me for all of eternity if my disappearance forced her to tell everything to Mom.  
  
Yet... this place had it's own sort of appeal, it's own roguish charm. It certainly beat exams and annoying profs, and the harsh fast-paced noise of the real world. I wouldn't be much help to the Bandits, of course, as I was nothing more than a book worm, really, but maybe the Empress would give me a job at the Palace... Research or something?  
  
I shook my head and dunked myself.  
  
Idiot. What was I thinking?  
  
The Shiji Tenshi Sho took and never gave back - if I were to stay, part of me would have to pay for that... if I got out of this adventure alive, that is. And I wasn't so sure I would.  
  
Turning my mind from far less black things, I surfaced again and scrubbed at my tawny hair briefly. I had no hair gel, and if I was here for too long, I would have to start tying back like Genrou's. The thought of my hair reminded me briefly of a drunken flash of last night's conversation, which consisted partially of my convincing Koji that I really was not a Hin, and that my light hair and eye colours were due to my father, a European man who had vanished from our lives a few months before Miaka had been born.  
  
I satisfied my guilt at the long bath by carefully peeling away the bandages on my hands and cleaning the wounds there throughly, administering to the ones I'd sustained by my small scuffle with Genrou at the same time. And, Hell, I thought, if I was going to see the Empress of Konan, I better damn well not smell like the rivers of Tokyo doing it.  
  
I climbed out of the spring and shook myself dry - luckily, hot water evaporates quickly and I was able to slide into the black leather trousers and boots right away. I kept my own socks, turning them inside out, as none had been provided. I hoped that was enough of a connection to my world - maybe Miaka would read the passage about me dressing and go and put on a pair of my stinky old socks to try to talk to me!  
  
The thought made me laugh, which lightened my heart.  
  
I'll admit, I was nervous, and worried. These quests for the Gods always ended up at least a little bloody, and like Genrou had accused, I was very little more than a 'Spineless Scholar'... I was no warrior. And I didn't have Miaka's Holy Miko Powers.  
  
I hoped I wouldn't have to rely on the Suzaku Shitisenshi, I really did, but I had a feeling I would. Why else would I have appeared in this world so close to this mountain?  
  
I quickly slipped on the dark yellow tunic provided, and the blue vest with lots of elaborate needlework around the button holes. I wonder which noble this had been stolen from. The tunic I tucked into my waistband and only buttoned the top half of the vest, letting the tails hang down to my knees. There were a few extra lengths of ribbon-like material left over, and I figured out that one was a long red sash that I had to wind several times around my hips to keep it from dragging, while the rest were linen bandages for my hands.  
  
The last length of red I supposed was a headband of sorts, but I forwent that. I thought it might make me look too much like Suboshi. With a small shiver at the memories, I tucked the fabric into my belt and went into the hideout.  
  
Chichiri and Genrou would be waiting for me.  
  
It was time to get this adventure started.  
  
~~~  
  
Author's Note:  
  
Well, Happy Valentine's Day. I hate it. But that's only because I'm single.  
  
I don't know how many of you have followed me here from "Spider", but welcome. I look forward from hearing from all of you!  
  
I can't give you a garuntee of when this fic will be updated regularily, but I will try to get at least one chapter every few days - maybe faster once I've finished downloading OVA 3... silly slow connection... *sigh*  
  
Review:  
  
methodic madness: I answered most of your questions in a long e-mail, but thank you again for asking them. Just to re-cap, yes, this does include the third OVA, yes, the call of the book is irrestistable to all, and thank you so much for your compliments on my writing style! And good news, I finally have a plot breakdown, now! Wee! I know where I'm going with this sucker!  
  
whiteangelguardian: What a mouthfull of a name! Or else what...? heh heh heh   
  
Ellen: Woo! First reviews are always the most fun! I agree, I think it's about time Keisuke got his due. He's a very strong and intriguiing person, adn I think it does him no justice to see him sitting on the sidelines all the time, just because he's male. I was so rooting for him to follow Mayo into the book... *sigh* ... oh well. 


	5. Ghost

Chapter Five: "A Ghost In My Own Home"

by Vega

Koji whinged loud and long, but in the end, agreed to forego the adventure - AGAIN - and sit on his arse in the hideout. Genrou managed to convince him by laying on the guilt trip and saying that Koji was, after all, the second in command. Someone had to remain behind and make sure no on did anything spectacularly stupid.

With that fuss behind us, Genrou, Chichiri and I stepped out into the sunlight and towards the nearby glade where we were to travel on the monk's out-spread kesa. He had laid the swath of blue fabric on a patch of grass and I knew from reading the Shiji Tenshi Sho that we were going to somehow sink through the ground on the fabric and end up... somehow... in the courtyard of the Konan Palace.

With butterflies kickboxing in my stomach, I stepped on board and closed my eyes.

A sensation not unlike I had jumped feet-first into a bucket of ice-cubes hit me, and beside me, I could feel Genrou grab onto my sleeve and give a shiver. Then I felt like I was slowly thawing out, toes first, then feet and ankles and up and up until everything between my shoes and the tips of my hair felt like melty little hot puddles of nerve-endings. I closed my eyes and gasped, the air was suddenly sucked out of my lungs, and then... it was over.

I cracked my lids slightly only to come face-to-face with the business end of a spear.

I am ashamed to admit that I gave a girly little scream and leapt backwards to put the bandit between me and the Sharp Pointy Thing. Genrou laughed, a thick heartily amused one and said, "Hold yer weapons, it's me, Tasuki."

The soldiers raised their spears and rested them on their shoulders, and I breathed a sigh of intense relief. It appeared that they recognized him, if only by reputation.

"We're here to see the Emperor, no da," Chichiri stepped forward and bent quickly to scoop his kesa up off the ground. I had to scramble to avoid falling over, and was proud of myself that I didn't manage to do anything else embarrassing, just yet. "Empress Houki too, if she's feeling up to visitors, na no da."

* * *

The young Emperor was staring at me.

Well, not so young. Boushin-sama had to be the same age as his father had been when Hotohori-sama had first met my little sister.

Boy, aren't time paradoxes fun?

I knelt before the throne of the Emperor of Konan, Chichiri and Genrou flanking me. Houki-sama, mother of the Emperor and Widow of the former Emperor, look-alike of Nuriko, stood beside him. She was perfectly still, her face impassive, except for her hands. She was gripping a scarf in her hands, twisting it, bunching it, the only proof of her anxiety.

The Emperor showed no such collectedness. He sat with a blatant look of shock on his face, his green eyes wide and his knuckles white where he gripped the arms of his throne.

I imagine his father looked much the same when he had first encountered Miaka.

I couldn't help my smile out of one side of my mouth, and the Boushin-sama saw this and sat backwards, relaxing a little.

"Stand, please," he said softly and the three of us - Chichiri, Genrou, and I - pushed ourselves onto our feet. He stood as well and took a few steps forward to regard us from the top step of his dais. Below him, on the stairs, a mosaic of red semi-precious stones glowed in the torch light, making the image of Suzaku dance and seem to move in the wavering firelight.

"My friends," he said softly, smiling at Chichiri and Genrou. "Once more you come to the aid of my country and its people. Indeed, the Suzaku Shitisenshi are wise and honourable."

Neither Genrou nor Chichiri seemed moved or embarrassed by this. Genrou's lips twitched downwards for a brief second, and then all traces of emotion left his face. They nodded once and then all eyes fell on me.

"And you, elder brother of our beloved Suzaku no Miko. I am told that your sister spoke of you often and fondly." He descended the steps to stand directly in front of me, a young man half my age and already the ruler of an entire nation. I couldn't even begin to image how stressful being responsible for every life in the country must be. He bowed once, deeply, in front of me and I dropped immediately into the lowest bow I could. The Emperor laughed and I looked back up.

"Do not trouble to humble yourself before me," he said with a gentle smile. "If Suzaku has seen fit to bring you to us, then it is us who must be humble towards you."

"I'm not sure why I'm here," I admitted. "I mean... it's not like I can be a Miko." There was a small titter of laughter from Houki and I was glad to hear the sound come out of her. "From what I understand, Suzaku brings a Miko when Konan is in peril. Is the country in peril?"

Boushin thought about this for a moment and said, "No, I do not believe it is. But I could be mistaken." He turned from me and to a nearby guard. He spoke softly into the man's ear, covering his mouth from lip-readers with the sleeve of his robe. Then he turned back to me. "I have sent emissaries to the Rulers of the other Three Kingdoms. They will enquire as to whether or not other Mikos or… visitors have arrived, or if they are having any troubles. I hope that all of my emissaries will be met with peaceful receptions. If they are, then the other rulers will still be, hopefully, my allies."

"That is wise, Boushin-sama," Chichiri murmured.

The Emperor nodded once, and made a gesture I took to be one of dismissal. Everyone except a few guards, the Empress Dowager, and the four of us guys left the room. I looked around me, watching as ministers and military vanished into the depths of the palace.

"Now!" Boushin said, a very un-emperor-like grin on his face, "Let us celebrate, Keiske-sama! We shall have a feast! Tell me, do you have your sister's legendary appetite?"

* * *

How exactly do you party with royalty?

According to Genrou, pretty much the same way to party without them.

The 'feast' was absolutely astounding. There was enough food to feed three times as many of us, and the sake bottles never seemed to get empty. Boushin, Chichiri, Genrou and I sat around the same end of the table and traded stories of Miaka and Tamahome, Mik-chan, Hotohori, the Suzaku Seven, and times past.

Chichiri recounted an exciting tale of horror that told of a time when he stumbled upon a village where a demon was possessing people. He exorcised it without breaking a sweat.

Boushin-sama recounted his earliest memories of the warriors of Suzaku.

Genrou treated us to a tale of high adventure and peril … in which he went home to visit his mother. She didn't seem to care that he was a Warrior of Suzaku – she had tried to suffocate him in a hug all the same.

Even Houki-sama was enticed into telling the story of how she fell in love with Hotohori-sama.

Then they turned on me and demanded to know everything about my world. It was a very tall order, and kept my mouth dry for most of night. Genrou took it upon himself, of course, to make sure that my lips remained wet and the last thing I remember before I passed out, was muttering to myself about never drinking with bandits ever again.

* * *

I was dreaming.

It was late morning somewhere, and my mother was on the phone. She was talking with Miaka. I could hear both sides of the conversation.

"...isn't here," she was saying. "His coat is gone."

"I'm sure he just went out," Miaka said, her voice electronically amplified. "Maybe he went to the convenience store."

"He's been gone all morning," Mom insisted. "There was no note, nothing. He always leaves a note."

"Mom, I'm sure he's fine."

There was a pause. Mom was clutching the cord of the phone as if it was her lifeline. "Of course. You're right, dear," she said. Her voice was reassuring, but her face was sad. "How's the baby?"

"Oh, he's starting to wobble a little," Miaka said, and there was laughter in her voice. "Not quite standing, but you know, he's getting there. He'll be off on adventures before we know it."

I walked up behind Mom and tried to take her hand. Mine went right through hers. I felt her shudder, and she gasped into to phone.

"Mom?" Miaka's voice asked. "What just happened?"

"I... I thought I felt... no, it's nothing, dear."

I was startled by this revelation. I could... could Mom feel me?

"Mom?" I said, experimentally, right beside her ear. She jumped and looked around, then shook her head.

"No, Mom, what was it?" Miaka insisted.

"Tell her I'm in the book!" I said, as loud as I could. "I'm in the book!"

"… in the book…" Mom repeated under her breath.

"What did you say!" Miaka squeaked on the other end of the line. "What about a book?"

"What?" Mom jumped and seemed to come out of her daze. "Nothing – I think I heard the neighbour's cat again. Dreadful thing is always yowling at me."

"No!" I cried, "I'm in the book! Tell her! Tell Miaka! I'm in the book!"

"A cat?" Miaka asked. "I thought you said something about a book."

"Mmm?" Mom shook her head. "No, I didn't."

"Yes she did!"

"Yes you did."

"Of course I didn't, dear. Anyway, give my love to Taka-san and Mik-chan. Sorry for troubling you. Have your brother call me if you see him?"

"I... I will," Miaka said, but she sounded distracted, unsure.

Mom hung up the phone and turned. She was looking right into my eyes and didn't see me.

I woke up with a gasp, clutching the covers of an expensive duvet.

I sat up slowly, my head throbbing, and covered my eyes with my hands. I sat there for a long time and tried to catch my breath.


End file.
